‘Proactive policy will address pilots' unemployment’ -Meggison

Osita Chidoka, Minister of Aviation

The  grand patron of Nigerian Professional Pilots ( NPP), Captain Nogie Meggison who is also the Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON  has called on the Federal Government to put in a place a proactive policy that will address  the projected 500 Nigerian licensed  pilots   that  are unemployed  .

He said the number of unemployed pilots is increasing from  the current 200 to an astronomical number when the over 100  student pilots' sent to Jordan by the Kano State government would graduate  later this year. This is in addition to the 52  youths trained under the Federal Government Amnesty programme as well as the fresh batches 100 graduating from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology ( NCAT), and the 40 from International Aviation College ( IAC), in Ilorin, Kwara State .

Meggison said unless something fast is done, such development constitutes  a disincentive to the growth and development of the Nigerian aviation industry .

He said well over 400  Nigeria licensed  aircraft engineers are also out of job, urging the Federal Government to put in place an employment policy that would ensure these aviation professionals  are engaged by both indigenous and foreign carriers operating in the country .

Meggison said though, some domestic carriers have done well and are engaging some of the pilots but there still room for improvement.

He said an enabling policy that would check the influx of foreign pilots and engineers   by foreign carriers.

Meggison said there are over 1,000 foreign pilots engaged by both local and foreign registered airplane  flying in Nigeria .

He stated that apart from the 1,000 foreign pilots , there are over 500 foreign aircraft engineers  employed in the country .

 “The  government  should compel foreign carriers to set up a line station for aircraft maintenance in the country and employ local engineers to assist in turning around  the growth of the sector .They should  look into other avenues also, if policies are not put in place the challenge of unemployment of pilots and engineers may not be resolved as soon as possible”- said he.